Passengers finally leave COVID-hit cruise ship after 5 days The German operator of a cruise ship that has been stuck in Lisbon's port due to an outbreak of the coronavirus among its crew pulled the plug on the voyage on Sunday after some passengers tested positive, port authorities said. Disconsolate passengers stuck on a cruise ship moored in Lisbon's port for five days due to a COVID-19 outbreak began disembarking early on Monday, focused on clearing the final hurdle of a negative test before boarding homebound flights. The AIDAnova, with 2,844 passengers and 1,353 crew onboard docked in Lisbon on Dec. 29 while en route to the island of Madeira for New Year's Eve celebrations, but was unable to continue the journey after 52 cases of COVID-19 were detected among the fully-va...
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travelogues, travel articles and news from around and about Portugal
To assist in building marketing and trade relations for Portugal Tourism VFS Global has been nominated the new Trade and Marketing Agency for Turismo de Portugal, the official Tourism Board for Portugal, responsible for building destination awareness in the market, attracting more visitor footfall from India, and positioning Portugal as the leading destination for travellers across segments. In its role, VFS Global will help establish a bigger media outreach for Turismo de Portugal, providing them the latest updates about the destination, and keeping the travel trade up to date on the most recent and relevant information on places, products, and experiences. Additionally, there will be a focus on building corporate and airline partnerships to establish Portugal as a preferred de...
Read MoreInspires Chapter 2 Events to launch its European base Chapter 2 Events, one of India’s foremost luxury wedding planning firms, has expanded their operations to set up a satellite base in Portugal with Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts. Based out of Delhi, the brand is known to organize larger-than-life Indian destination wedding experiences in countries such as Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Serbia, Oman, and UAE. Europe was the favoured region when it came to setting up a base to complement the interests of the large number of overseas Indians based across UK, the Middle East, Canada and US and to build on the increasing non-Indian clientele. Having a physical presence in Portugal has opened up a wide range of avenues across the European continent not just for family clientel...
Read MoreThe popular Portuguese islands of Madeira will allow entry to visitors with any of the COVID-19 jabs being administered worldwide and not only with those approved by Europe's drug regulator, the regional government said on Sunday. The European Union, which launched its digital COVID certificate last week, has so far authorised only four vaccines - those of Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, Moderna Inc, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. The certificate allows citizens to travel more freely across the bloc if they have been fully vaccinated with one of the four approved shots, received a recent negative test result or have immunity due to recent recovery. A general view shows the small village of Arco de Sao Jorge on Madeira's North coast, Portugal. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante Member s...
Read MoreMajor blow to airlines, British tourists fume and term it as unfair Britain removed Portugal from its quarantine-free travel list on Thursday, essentially shutting down the UK’s international leisure market just weeks after it reopened and sparking outrage from embattled airlines. The industry questioned why British people could not travel when the country had some of the highest vaccine rates in the world. Portugal said the decision lacked logic. Airports demanded a cash lifeline. Tired of mixed messages, British sunseekers in Portugal also reacted with fury and disbelief to their government’s decision to reimpose a quarantine regime for travellers coming from the popular southern European destination. FILE PHOTO: A man looks at a check-in information board in the departures ...
Read MoreSun-hungry Britons landing in Portugal on Monday after a four-month coronavirus travel ban between the two countries was lifted at midnight were elated to be back on holiday. "It's fantastic. The feeling is unbelievable. We got the sun, the people, the beaches, the bars. Can't wait," said British tourist Matthew Bolden, giving the thumbs up at the arrivals gate at Lisbon airport. Twenty-two flights from Britain were due to land in Portugal on Monday, with most heading to the southern Algarve region, famous for its beaches and golf courses but nearly deserted over the past months as the pandemic kept tourists away. People arrive at Faro Airport from Manchester on the first day that Britons are allowed to enter Portugal without needing to quarantine, as coronavirus disease (COVID-1...
Read MorePortugal will allow tourist flights from European Union countries with low infection rates and from the UK, but passengers must show a negative coronavirus test on arrival, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday. The announcement came a day after the Portuguese tourism authority gave the green light to UK tourists to enter the country from Monday. FILE PHOTO: A couple is seen next to rows of empty hammocks during the coronavirus pandemic in Albufeira, Portugal. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante In a statement, it said the ban will be lifted on European countries with less than 500 cases of infections per 100,000 people. Tourists from Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are also allowed to start flying to Portugal. Visitors will have to show proof of a negative test taken ...
Read MoreAnantara in Spain, Portugal reopen in time for a luxurious Mediterranean summer
Anantara has announced the reopening of its resorts in Southern Europe with new gastronomic journeys, wellness programs and exclusive experiences. Anantara Villa Padierna Palace in Spain welcomes guests with a series of brand-new experiences that reconnect visitors to Andalusian allures whilst Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort entices with glamourous, family-friendly Portuguese escapes. Enticing Andalusian allure Anantara Villa Padierna Palace welcomes back guests with a series of carefully created journeys and experiences centred on the traditions, flavours and rituals of Southern Spain. New mindfulness experiences invite guests to live consciously and disconnect from the daily routine. From cruising the coastlines on a sailing boat with a guided meditation instruct...
Read MoreBritons rush to book trips to Portugal ahead of up-in-the-air summer season
The mailbox of a well-known hotel in the heart of Lisbon was bombarded with queries as soon as Britain announced it was including the country on its travel “green list” this summer. Manuel Pinto, Mundial Hotel director, is over the moon that British holidaymakers, who are essential to Portugal’s tourism industry, will be able to return after a five-month travel ban, providing a much-needed boost to the struggling sector. A woman takes photos in Cais das Colunas amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Lisbon, Portugal, May 11, 2021. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes “I was delighted, not only on a personal level but for our country,” Pinto said, standing in Mundial’s rooftop bar, adding that British visitors had already booked around 4,000 room nights at the hotel this year. Port...
Read MorePaços do Concelho in Porto gets illuminated with Tricolour Porto in Northern Portugal hosts the EU-India Leaders’ Hybrid Meeting this 8th May, at Palácio de Cristal (participation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of India by video conference). On this occasion historical building Paços do Concelho at Porto gets illuminated with Indian tricolour flag. Claudia Matias, Director for VisitPortugal in India says: “Portugal expresses its solidarity and a message of hope and strength to all Indians in this challenging time in their fight against the pandemic. We are sending across our deepest fast recovery wishes to India, by illuminating with Indian tricolour flag an iconic landmark in Porto”. Paços do Concelho, is situated at the heart of downtown, with a 70m high tower with a...
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